DIRECT. Russia: more than a thousand arrests in Russia during demonstrations in favor of Alexey Navalny

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2:29 p.m. : In the crowd of some 10,000 people gathered in central Moscow, AFP journalists witnessed violent arrests and clashes between police and protesters.

14:46 : More than 1,000 people have been arrested by the police in Russia during demonstrations in favor of the opponent Alexeï Navalny, according to the NGO OVD-Info, which specializes in monitoring demonstrations in this country.

2:27 p.m. : Here is a new point on the news at the beginning of the afternoon:

# COVID_19 Shift, to accelerate. The High Authority for Health recommends “to extend to six weeks the time between two doses of messenger RNA vaccine (vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna)”, “to protect more people at risk of hospitalization or death more quickly ” linked to Covid-19.

Yulia Navalnaïa, the wife of Russian opponent Alexeï Navalny, announced that she had been arrested by the police in Moscow during the demonstration in support of her imprisoned husband, marked by clashes. In addition, more than 1000 arrests took place in Russia during demonstrations which gathered thousands of people.

• French Julia Simon has won the mass start of Anterselva, counting for the Biathlon World Cup. She thus offers herself her second success of the season, six days after winning the Oberhof mass start, by sprinting ahead of the Swedish Hanna Oeberg.

2:18 p.m. : In Paris, the NGO Russia-Libertés and Amnesty France made an appointment at 3 pm on the human rights square, Place du Trocadéro, to demand the release of the opponent Alexeï Navalny.

2:03 p.m. : The toilet brushes brandished by demonstrators – reference to the investigation published by Navalny on YouTube (68M views since Tuesday), accusing Putin of having built a palace of incredible luxury on the Black Sea, echoing a brush to WC at 700 € that I had missed … Thank you @RobinBjalon

2:04 p.m. : Manif Navalny: if the traditional Russian media remain silent, alternative media are doing important work. For example the opposition TV @tvrain which does a live followed by 400K people who donate live (I don’t know why there is a toilet brush at the top left) https://t.co/hFQdeQtO1E

2:00 p.m. : In Yakutsk, demonstrators gathered at -50 degrees. #Russia #Navalny (photo @civ_soc) #FreeNalvany https://t.co/xHcuvh6uub

1:58 p.m. : Thousands of demonstrators also in Moscow and St. Petersburg, despite the arrests. People chant “Freedom” and “Thief Putin”. #Russia #Navalny #FreeNavalny #RussiaProtests (images @tvrain) https://t.co/9btlYosYJx

1:58 p.m. : Meanwhile, protests continue, all over the country, depending on the time of day in different cities, because Russia has no less than … 11 time zones. In Moscow, there were sporadic clashes between riot police who used their batons against demonstrators throwing snowballs at them.

1:53 p.m. : Yulia Navalnaïa, wife of Russian opponent Alexeï Navalny, announces that she has been arrested by the police in Moscow, during the demonstration in support of her imprisoned husband. “Excuse the poor quality (of the photo), the light is bad in the cellar van”, she quipped on her Instagram page, posting a selfie taken in a police vehicle.

1:56 p.m. : “We round up ordinary citizens who take to the streets.”

Marie Mendras, political scientist at CNRS, teacher at Sciences-Po Paris and specialist in Russia, denounces the attitude of the police in Russia. “It’s a moment of truth for Vladimir Putin and his regime”, affirms to franceinfo the political scientist of the CNRS. According to her, “Navalny has already won”.